Colors of flags This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Colors of flags Flags of the World Colour Standards Pantone Matching System and flags The Flag Institute has used standard colours for some time, derived from the Pantone Matching System, but making allowance for the prevailing system of printing from four process colours. As has been pointed out, most Mac programmes cater for PMS colours, including the one we use for graphics, which is Adobe Illustrator. Our object is to restrain the growth of colours to unmanageable proportions, and so we have listed some standard flag colours, with a few allowable variations. These variations come into effect where a flag's specifications call for them, eg 'azul turquesi' in some Central American flags, 'Yale Blue' in the flag of Israel, and where official specifications list either Pantone matches, eg Finland, Estonia, Australia, or other colour identification matches than can be 'translated' into Pantone matches. The standard PMS colours are: 032, red; 286, blue; 354, green; 109, yellow; 165, orange; and 167, brown.

Some frequent variations are: 185, red for 'Old Glory Red' also used in Australia; 280 blue, ditto; 355 green as in the flag of Saudi Arabia, etc. Gold is 116, as in the flag of Europe and of Germany, and silver is 420. So far we have kept to our resolution to use not more than 30 shades of colour. A printout of these is available on request. Our position is that flags normally employ the 'default' colours unless some good reason can be shown for departing from them. William Crampton, 14 October 1995 Pantone matches are widely used, but not all countries have officially specified matches. I know the Flag Institute keeps records of officially set Pantone matches and that they have set their own matches for those flags where no official specification is made. For example, the Flag Institute's Pantone matches for the UK flag is Red 032 and Blue 286.

Jan Oskar Engene, 11 December 1996 The British Navy's "Flags of all nations" give us general Pantone colours: Azure blue 549C Heraldic blue 286C Grey 409C With the specification: "The Pantone colour reference is for printers' use only". But, is a good colour reference. Sebastia Herreros, 13 December 1996 Shade of Blue in some flags On 26 February 1996 Bill Grimes-Wyatt stated "there is no question that the flags of Israel and Greece are a light blue, not dark blue as your charts might suggest." Blues can be very confusing. In Flags Through the Ages and Across the World (W. Smith, 1975) [smi75b] you will find that Israel and Greece both use a fairly dark blue, though they are slightly different from each other. The Israeli blue is as dark as any of the Blue Ensigns shown in the book, and the Greek flag is of a very slightly lighter shade. They both stand in sharp contrast to the light blue of Argentina , Botswana , Fiji , etc.

The Greek flag, like the Finnish flag, used to be what we would think of as "light blue" but both have changed to darker shades. I have a Greek flag made in Greece of paper and it is of the lighter blue shade. I purchased it over a dozen years ago, so I don't know what shade of blue the locals would recognize as proper, but according to regulations it is no longer "light blue." Nick Artimovich, 26 February 1996 The blue colour in Israel's flag is definitely dark. Some time ago I got a folder on national symbols from the Embassy of Israel in Washington. In the flag drawing the blue is dark, the text defines it as Yale Blue. Jan Oskar Engene, 27 January 1996 The flag of Israel was a dark blue (navy) until the late 50's or early 60's at which time it was changed to a lighter blue. This is from memory. Ronnie Kay, 27 February 1996 The odd thing is that at the time I called the Israeli mission to the U.N.

to verify the color before producing the flag, and the impression I got was that they didn't care which color was used. R. Nathan Bliss, 27 February 1996 Actually, the color is officially declared to be "blue". However, it can be any kind of blue - light, cyan or whatever shade, so long as it's 'blue' and have the 'magen david' sign in between the lines. Goren S, 9 February 1996 The flag of Israel is decidedly not any single shade of blue. It is based on a tallit, a religious article of clothing. The color of blue meant to be used on the tallit is not known and in fact everything from black to reddish purple is used to denote it with different religious and political connotations. The most common color (the light blue) comes from the fact that the tallit most people wear (including mine) is a light blue with the deliberate statement of "this is most probably not the right color." Many people, including me, would find black as acceptable as the current shade of blue. The reddish tones of purple could get you into an argument.

For the State of Israel to make any definite proclamation beyond "blue" could incite violence (!) and questions as to what exactly what shade of the color it is are probably viewed with suspicion of "looking for a fight." There are enough people opposed to using blue at all, to begin with. Jacob Faturechi, 21 October 1996 Something interesting: in Taiwanese vexillological regulations, the Chinese word for 'blue' is never used - the word 'qing' is used instead. The problem is, in layman's language, 'qing' usually means green rather than blue! Even more interesting is the use of politically correct terms for the colour red. When English is used, the Taiwanese flag is described as 'blue sky, white sun, crimson field' and never 'red field' so as to avoid any links with 'Red China ' (the Communists). When Chinese is used, however, the word for 'red' ('hong') is used regardless. This is because, when the colour red is associated with the Communists, the Taiwanese authorities uses the word 'chi' (sanguine) instead!

Miles Li, 28 September 2001 Reading official descriptions of Brazilian flags has taught me (sometimes the hard way) that color designations don't necessarily mean in Portuguese what I would think they'd mean in English. For example, "azul celeste" in Brazil seems to mean regular bright blue (B), not the pale blue that an American raised on Crayola crayons would expect. I've encountered in descriptions of Brazilian military flags the term "azul-turquesa." The English cognate would obviously be "turquoise blue," a light greenish blue color. But I suppose it could also mean Turkish blue, which could be a medium light blue between B and Argentine James Dignan, 13 October 2008 Fllags of the Middle East ( the Hejaz , Palestine , Syria , Iraq , Lebanon , Egypt , Iran , Yemen ) Description of the flag The official description of the flag of Jordan is that it symbolizes the Kingdom's roots in the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, as it is adapted from the revolt banner.

The black, white and green bands represent the Arab Abbasid, Umayyad and Fatimid dynasties respectively, while the crimson triangle joining the bands represents the Hashemite dynasty. The seven-pointed Islamic star set in the centre of the crimson triangle represents the unity of Arab peoples in Jordan. As a part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century, Jordan was one of several aspirant nations which adopted the Pan-Arab colours of black, red, white and green, all expressive of Arab nationalism; the green colour has additional symbolism, in that it is traditionally associated with Islam and its followers. In 1921 the green and white bands were transposed from their positions on the flag which had been used by the independence movement in the 1918 revolt against the Turks. In 1928 the official version of the flag saw the addition of a seven-pointed white star to the red triangle in the hoist. This has been interpreted as representing the first seven verses of the Koran, the basis of the Islamic religion, and the star is what distinguishes the Jordanian flag from that used by the Palestinian Arabs.

The Royal Standard of Jordan Jordan's royal standard is quite unique, it has a small national flag in the centre, on a white oval, only the star in the triangle is replaced by an arched crown. The field is made up of rays in the state colours, black in each corner (like a St Andrew's cross) then white, green, white, red, white, repeats. The royal coat of arms "The crown symbolizes the system of monarchy. The sash upon which the crown is placed symbolizes the Hashemite throne. Its scarlet colour represents sacrifice, while the white inner background symbolizes purity. The two flags are the flags of the Great Arab Revolt. The eagle in the centre of the coat of arms symbolizes power, might and loftiness. The eagle is perched on the globe, and his wings touch the two flags of the Great Arab Revolt. The blue colour of the globe symbolizes the spread of Islam across the world. The bronze shield in front of the globe represents the defence of truth and right in the world. The spears, swords, bows and arrows are traditional Arab weapons. Below the shield to the left are three branches of wheat, and to the right is a palm branch.

Stretching down from between the wheat and palm branches is the highest Jordanian medal, the decorative order of al-Nahda. Above the al-Nahda medal are three phrases inscribed on a golden ribbon. In the middle: King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. To the right: Al-Hussein bin Talal bin Aoun (Aoun, one of the Hashemite patriarchs, was great great-grandfather of Sherif Hussein)." History of the national flag of Jordan - the flag of the Hejaz The flag is evolved from the flag of the Arab Revolt, sometimes called the flag of the Hejaz. Sherif Hussein designed this as the flag of the Arab Revolt on June 1916. The Palestinian people raised it as the flag of the Arab National movement in 1917. In 1947 the Arab Ba'ath Party interpreted the flag as a symbol of the liberation and unity of the Arab nation. The Palestinian people readopted the flag at the Palestinian conference in Gaza in 1948 and the flag was recognized by the Arab League as the flag of the Palestinian people.

It was further endorsed by the PLO, the representative of the Palestinians, at the Palestinian conference in Jerusalem in 1964. In 1921 or thereabouts the white and green were swapped, making it like the modern Palestinian flag, which is directly derived from it. After the fall of Hejaz the colours were used by Hussein's sons Abdulla (emir of Transjordan) and Faisal (king of Iraq). Later on they became known as the Pan-Arab colours. I give the official explanation below, but I have also heard them described as symbolizing "green for the Faith, white for the peace which we yearn for, black for the land we hold, and red for the courage with which we will defend all of these". Origin of the Pan-Arab Colours Red : The Khawarij were the first Islamic group to emerge after the assassination of Caliph Othman III, forming the first republican party in the early days of Islam. Their symbol was the red flag. Arab tribes who participated in the conquest of North Africa and Andalusia carried the red flag, which became the symbol of the Islamic rulers of Andalusia (756-1355).

In modern times, red symbolizes the Ashrafs [ie. Sharifians] of the Hejaz and the Hashemites, descendants of the Prophet. Green: The Fatimid Dynasty (909-1171), North Africa The Fatimid Dynasty was founded in Morocco by Abdullah Al-Mahdi, and went on rule all of North Africa. They took green as their colour, to symbolize their allegiance to Ali, the Prophet's cousin, who was once wrapped in a green coverlet in place of the Prophet in order to thwart an assassination attempt. White: The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750), Damascus The Umayyads ruled for ninety years, taking white as their symbolic colour as a reminder of the Prophet's first battle at Badr, and to distinguish themselves from the Abbasids, by using white, rather than black, as their colour of mourning. Mu'awia Ibn Abi Sufian (661-750), founder of the Umayyad state, proclaimed himself Caliph of Jerusalem.

Black: The Prophet Mohammad (570-632) In the seventh century, with the rise of Islam and subsequent liberation of Mecca, two flags - one white, one black - were carried. On the white flag was written, "There is no god but God (Allah) and Mohammad is the Prophet of God." In pre-Islamic times, the black flag was a sign of revenge. It was the colour of the headdress worn when leading troops into battle. Both black and white flags were placed in the mosque during Friday prayers. The Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258), ruling from Baghdad, took black as a symbol of mourning for the assassination of relatives of the Prophet and in remembrance of the Battle of Karbala. (Source: Evolution of the Arab Flag, by Mahdi Abdul Hadi, Amman, February 1986) The flag of Sherif Hussein of Hejaz, was a conscious union of the old Islamic dynasties, plus the red of Sharifian clan. The red also came to symbolise revolt against the Turks. Hussein's sons became kings of Jordan, Syria, and Iraq, hence the minor differentiations in the Sharifian flag.

Hussein's original intent was for his flag to be identical in those 3 countries with the addition of one star for Jordan-Palestine, two stars for Iraq, and three stars for Syria. The Jordanian one is the only that has survived, and the Palestinians use the same flag without the star as a tie to their original territorial integrity (Palestine and Transjordan were split in 1923) to clarify that a Jewish homeland did not apply to the latter. In 1961 Kuwait switched from its red Gulf flag to a Sharifian variant. The Hashemite revolt was the Arab world's first embrace of European-style nationalism, but it was largely unsuccessful, mostly due to lack of Western support. The Arab-speaking areas of the old Ottoman empire were mostly divided up between France and England, though the British did install Hashemite princes as local rulers in the areas they controlled. Even in the Hejaz, the Hashemites were driven out by the Wahabi Saudi dynasty, which, then as now, was less concerned with Arab nationalism than in its doctrine of religious fundamentalism. Nevertheless the flag was remembered as associated with Arab nationalism, even if the Hashemite dynasty was not.

The flag of Palestine The Palestinian flag represents all Palestinian Arab aspirations regardless of party. It belongs to the Arab Revolt grouping of Arab flags and is a deliberate copy of the Jordanian flag (minus the star), which presumably represents the historical link to 1920-23 when Palestine and Transjordan were one territory. The flag was adopted in 1964 at the creation of the PNC and PLO. It was definitely in use by 1974 when the Arab League declared the PLO the sole representative of all Palestinians and the UN granted the PLO observer status. The flag of Iraq The Iraqi flag is also based on the flag of the Hejaz and the Pan Arab colours. The flag was adopted 31 July 1963. The takbir ["Allah Akbar" - "God is great"] in Arabic script in green was added during the Gulf War, 13 January 1991. The hoist of the Iraqi flag should be at the viewer's right, as is the case for Saudi Arabia, another flag featuring Arabic writings (which read from right to left).

The flag of Lebanon According to the constitutional law of 7 December 1943, the three colours of the flag should be red, white and green. The tree is the cedar traditionally connected with Lebanon. In the 18th century the Maronite Christians used a white flag with the cedar tree, with reference to the Bible (Ps 92:12, 'the righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon'). Later, when Lebanon was under French mandate, the French tricolour was used with a cedar tree in the middle. There is a reference in W. Smith's 1980 book to the colours: 'The red and white colours are those associated, respectively, with the Kayssites and Yemenites, opposing clans that divided Lebanese society between 634 and 1711.' The flag of Egypt The first national flag of modern Egypt was established by a Royal Decree in 1923 when Egypt gained conditional independence from Great Britain in 1922. The colour was green with a white crescent and three stars in the middle.

In 1958, a Presidential Decree established a new flag for the United Arab Republic which comprised a merger of Syria and Egypt. The new flag had three colours: red, white with 2 green stars and black. The flag was rectangular in shape and the width was one-third of its length. In 1972, the Law was amended to change the flag. The stars were removed from the flag and replaced by a golden hawk and later in 1984, the hawk was replaced by a golden eagle, or the eagle of Salah ad Din, the Ayubbid Sultan who ruled Egypt and Syria in the 12th Century, and who is better known in the west as Saladin of the Crusades. The flag of Iran The colours of the Iranian flag are traditional, probably dating from at least the 18th century and they can be interpreted as representing the Islamic religion (green), peace (white), and courage (red). The were first designed in tricolour form in 1907.

The flag's centrepiece formerly comprised a lion with a sword standing before a rising sun, with a crown above, but all traditional flags and banners were abolished after the abdication of the shah in 1979. Note that this flag is flown "right to left" ie with the flagpole on the right. The flag of Yemen The present flag and coat of arms were adopted 22 May 1990. Yemen was formed on 22 May 1990 by the union of North Yemen and South Yemen. This page is very largely based on the information given on "FOTW Flags Of The World website at I hope you don't mind my using it here!

Canada This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Canada image by Ant�nio Martins-Tuv�lkin, and Martin Grieve 27 July 2007 Proportions: 1:2 also read the writings of John Matheson on the design of the flag See also: The Current Canadian Flag The Maple Leaf flag The Canadian National Flag was adopted by the Canadian Parliament on October 22, 1964 and was proclaimed into law by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (the Queen of Canada) on February 15, 1965 [the certification of Parliament's decision was made on Jan. 28, 1965, Feb. 15 being the 'in force' date]. The Canadian Flag (colloquially known as The Maple Leaf Flag) is a red flag of the proportions two by length and one by width, containing in its centre a white square, with a single red stylized eleven-point maple leaf centred in the white square. The colours red and white used in the Canadian flag are the same as those colours used in the Union Flag (of the UK).

Red and white are the national colours of Canada since 1921 (when they were proclaimed by King George V on the recommendation of the Canadian Government). The heraldic description of the Canadian National Flag is: Gules on a Canadian pale argent a maple leaf of the first. Philatelists will note the issue of a Canadian stamp commemorating the 30th. Anniversary of the National flag on May 1, 1995. Sources (of this item and the following ones): Department of the Secretary of State of Canada, The Arms, Flag and Emblems of Canada, 1984 Department of the Secretary of State for Canada, Canada: Symbols of Nationhood, 1988 Bruce Peel "Emblems of Canada: Flag" The Canadian Encyclopedia, Hurtig Publishers: Edmonton, 1988. Peter Cawley - 25 May 1995 There are standards available from the Standards Council of Canada for making the National Flag of Canada from fabric.

CAN/CGSB-98.3-M91 National Flag of Canada (One-Event-Only Use) CAN/CGSB-98.2-92 National Flag of Canada (Indoor Use) CAN/CGSB-98.1-92 National Flag of Canada (Outdoor Use) Dean Tiegs - 06 December 1997 Origin of the Maple Leaf as symbol for Canada This comes from a daily vignette on local radio "This Day in History". On 21 August, 1860, the Prince of Wales was visiting Canada (i.e. Ontario and Quebec at that time, I assume) - the first real royal visit. People lined the streets of Toronto to see him - those of English origin wore a rose, the Scots wore a thistle, but what were the Canadian-born to wear? Canada's emblem had long been the beaver. 26 years earlier the Saint Jean Baptiste Society in Quebec had adopted the maple leaf as its symbol (apparently the first time the maple leaf was used as a symbol), and it was decreed that for the prince's visit the Canadians should wear a maple leaf. The idea took root.

In 1867 as Canada was becoming a country, a call was put out to write a patriotic song. Whatever song was chosen has since been lost to history, but the second place winner was Alexander Muir who wrote "The Maple Leaf for Ever", a song which became very popular, although today is downplayed a lot as it is not inclusive of the French Canadians. In World War 1, Lester Pearson noted that almost every battalion from Canada included the maple leaf in its insignia, and vowed he would campaign to put it on the flag, and of course 50 years later as prime minister of Canada he was part of the 33-day debate that resulted in the maple leaf as the Canadian flag. Rob Raeside - 21 August 1998 Three Leaves or One? The Pearson Pennant shows three leaves on one stem. So do the Coat-of-Arms of Ontario (also on the flag) and Quebec . (editor's note) Why three leaves on a single stem. While I can't claim to be a vexill-botonist, I am unaware of any maple tree that has three leaves on a single stem. Is there a hidden meaning to the three or just artistic license?

Nathan Bliss - 17 August 1998 True. This is impossible, because maple leaves always grow two by two, opposed on a branch, like this: | #---|---# | | So the arms of Canada, Quebec and Ontario are not botanically correct, so to speak. Whether this is a problem or not is debatable, because a dragon doesn't exist, so one could argue that the flag of Wales isn't zoologically correct! But of course, the three arms cited above are meant to represent a certain reality, unlike the flag of Wales, so... Is there a hidden meaning to the three or just artistic license? Not officially, but we could suppose that there was a certain religious intent behind this decision. Luc-Vartan Baronian - 17 August 1998 Ontario first badge It is unlikely that the three maple leaves on the Arms of Ontario1 were intended to represent the founding people of Canada as recently suggested. However the original design by Sir Charles Young, Garter King of Arms, was changed at the request of the Canadian authorities; the three maple leaves replacing a single garb or sheaf of wheat.

Conrad Swan in Canada : Symbols of Sovereignty, from which the original design is copied, gives a National Archives reference for correspondence between the Colonial Secretary and Garter on the matter. David Prothero, 23 June 2006 1Editorial Note: the Ontario badge change appears to be a first instance of the use of the three maple leaves. image contributed by David Prothero, 23 June 2006 I found a copy of Swan's book Canada: Symbols of Sovereignty [swa77] , and found on p. 161: Chapter 10 ONTARIO ENSIGNS ARMORIAL Deputed great seals were duly assigned for both Upper Canada and the Province of Canada, but neither had arms. Indeed, not until the year following Confederation were arms provided for Ontario, along with Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, by a royal warrant dated 26 May 1868. This instrument assigned the following ensigns for the Province of Ontario: vert, a sprig of three leaves of maple slipped or, on a chief argent, a cross of St George.

By this time, the maple leaf was firmly established as emblematic of Canada and, in fact, since 1854 had been an heraldic charge, having been so granted in the arms of Sir Louis Hypolite La Fontaine, Bt., Chief Justice of Lower Canada. As a consequence, the Canadian authorities specifically requested its inclusion in the Arms of Ontario in place of the wheat sheaf suggested by the then Garter King of Arms. To complete the effective simplicity of these arms, a chief of St George was added to the green field charged with three gold maple leaves on a single stem. For a province which came into being out of loyalty to the Crown, the inclusion of this reference to the namesake and patron of the monarch to whom this loyalty was directed, George III, was appropriate. It also served to recall the country from which had derived so much of the constitution, the laws, and the methods of government which the founders of Upper Canada were determined to maintain. It certainly could not have been intended to reflect national origins in the province when the arms were assigned for Ontario, as the Irish greatly outnumbered the English at that juncture. At the top of the next page is the illustration, above.

Dean McGee, 23 June 2006 The 'leaf' on the Canadian flag is a representation of the "broad leaf maple". Looks great on our flag, but the broad leaf maple only grows in the east. Jim Brown, 13 September 2007 Among other things I work as a researcher to several Dakota (Indian) bands in the province of Manitoba, Canada. An interesting thread of information which emerged during recent oral history interviews (and a parallel archival corroborative project) showed that an individual Dakota chief in the 1760s known usually as "Wabasha III" employed the red maple leaf as his particular symbol. Wabasha - or Wa pa ha sha -- refers to the standard carried by senior chiefs, a kind of shepherd's crook. This was routinely decorated with various articles that symbolized the bearer, including great attention to colour.

Wabasha is "Red Standard", and his name sometimes appears in British accounts of the period as Wapahasha, or "Red Standard" or simply "the Standard." While Wabasha used a common device of red-dyed eagle feathers, he also apparently employed red maple leaves as an additional embellishment on his staff, and this too became associated with him. So, in many French accounts he becomes "la Feuille" or "la Feuille Rouge", and in the corresponding English accounts of the period he becomes "the Red Leaf" or "the Leaf." Wabasha chose the British side of the French, and in 1782 was (according to Canadian National Archives documents) made a brigadier general of provincial militia in the British Army in recognition of his support. According to family oral tradition, as Wabasha was now "General Wabasha", it befitted that he should also have a flag like the other British officers had. He adapted the imagery of his staff/standard and chose a flag of a red maple leaf on a white background. Documents of this period sometimes refer to him as "the Red Flag" or even "Red Sheet".

In the absence of a illustration from the period, or a definitive linking document, is only a hypothetical explanation, but it is consistent with the usage of the term and its appearance as a badge among the British colonial military of the frontier during the late 1700s. James A.M. Ritchie, 17 April 2010 11 points Since this question was asked, Canada added Nunavut as a territory, giving the country a total of 10 provinces and 3 territories. If the ten points on the maple leaf on the Canadian Flag represent the ten provinces, and territories, what does the eleventh point on the maple leaf represent? a Frequently Asked Question The number of points on the maple leaf is pure coincidence, perhaps this way of thinking may come from one of the most famous flags, the American Stars & Stripes, where we all know that the 50 stars stand for 50 states, but the 11 points on the leaf are just coincidental - if we got 5 more provinces, say, can you imagine a 15-pointed maple leaf?

David Kendall - 1998-01-16 As some members have already pointed out, the eleven points/eleven governments (10 provincial plus federal) story is false. If you want a reference, go to your local library and ask for a pamphlet called: Etiquette of the Canadian flag, 1995(?) (I'm not sure of the exact title) in the federal publications. You will see in there in black on white that the eleven points have no significance Luc-Vartan Baronian - 16 January 1998 The Colours : Red and White Does anyone know why red and white are Canada's official colours. I heard somewhere that the red represents blood shed in World War I and the white represents the land. Can anyone confirm this? Fyaz Faisal, 15 August 1998 According to the documents edited by the Government of Canada : The flag is red and white, official colors that King George V designated for Canada in 1921. Palac, 16 August 1998 I believe red and white has been our unofficial colours since the early-mid 18th century though.

I don't know where it came from, but the official Canadian government site (I'm not sure of the URL, it's linked from my home page though) might help. David Kendall, 16 August 1998 I've consulted two references on this, and both disagree with each other regarding the meaning of the colors on the Canadian flag. Mssr. Palac in his response to this list was correct in that the colors were officially part of the 1921 proclamation by George V. I have also consulted the Canadian government server. They do not mention any symbolism on the flag, but do note that the red-white-red combination first appeared as part of the design of a General Service Medal for Canada issued under Queen Victoria between 1866 and 1870. The design is somewhat based on the Pearson Pennant. This had a blue-white-blue format for the colors, which a three leaf design for the Maple Leaf. According to another source, the source of the design was the flag of the Royal Military College, with the white pale made large and the Maple Leaf in place of the mailed fist replaced by a maple leaf. This flag design was based on the General Service Medal mentioned earlier.

Phil Nelson, 16 August 1998 Perhaps the question should be "why not?" rather than "why?"; a matter of elimination not selection. As others have written the colours were established with the grant of arms of 1921. The "colours" associated with a coat of arms are those of the mantle, the covering of the helmet located above the shield. In this case maple leaves. In English heraldry these are traditionally a 'metal', yellow (gold) or white (silver), and a 'colour', blue, green or red. Red seems a fairly obvious choice of 'colour'. The Red Ensign with the badge of Canada in the fly was beginning to replace the British Union Flag as the National Flag. The maple leaf was established as a, perhaps the, National symbol. A characteristic of the maple leaf, apart from its shape, is its red colour in the autumn (fall). Do you now select yellow or white to go with red? Yellow and red appear together in the English and Scottish quarters of the shield, so white and red would be a more distinctive combination. White would also symbolize the ice and snow associated with much of Canada.

Red and white just seem the best option within the tradition of English heraldry. A note about the colour of the maple leaves in the base of the shield. In 1921 these were green and were not changed to red until 1957. The original blazon (description) was; 'argent three maple leaves slipped vert'. (Three green maple leaves with stalks on a white background). However before publication this was changed to; 'argent three maple leaves conjoined on one stem proper'. The significant change is that 'vert' which must be 'green' has been changed to 'proper' which means 'natural'. Since the botanical maple leaf changes colour from green to red, the leaves in the base of the shield could have been made red even in 1921, just as the maple leaf in the paw of the lion on the crest, already was. David Prothero - 17 August 1998 Why would gules and argent be a logical choice for the torse and mantling of the 1921 arms? If anything, since the 1921 arms are based on the British royal arms it would be gules and ermine (don't forget the furs).

I believe gules and argent for the torse and mantling might have been derived from the St George's cross in the chief of the Ontario arms, which I assume was in the senior quarter of the pre-1921 arms? Andrew Young - 18 August 1998 The Red Ensign (created in 1707 as ensign of the Merchant Navy) was used from 1870 as flag on sea and on land. On the fly, there was the armories of provinces on one shield, often maple embellish bough and of oak and overcome of the royal crown, with to the-under a castor on a roundel. In 1892, the British Admiralty authorized its use on sea as flag of Canada, as the "Red Canadian Ensign". Palac - 18 August 1998 The colours of Canada were suggested to George V of GB because They had been the colours of Both France & England. In the First Crusade a Norman lord, Bohemund I, had red crosses cut from his mantles and distributed to 12,000 crusaders, who wore them as a badge on their garments.

In later crusades, each nation was distinguished by a cross of a different colour, making the first uniforms. France long had a red cross on its banners while England used a white cross. Time and again in history red and white are found as the colours of France or of England so it's quiet fitting they were adopted here. Philip, 23 January 2006 The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics ( Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 ) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC believed the flag to be. For Canada: PMS 032 red. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees anti-clockwise.

Ian Sumner, 10 October 2012 Prime Minister Interestingly, the Canadian Armed Forces do designate special flags for the prime minister and the minister of Defence: miniature National Flags. They're used in a way analogous to a general's rank flag: on vehicles, on ships, and in front of Canadian Forces buildings where the prime minister or minister of Defence is actually present. Dean Tiegs, 14 January 1998 The Royal Union Flag in Canada image by Clay Moss, 16 December 2006 The "Royal Union Flag" (British Union Flag) is a current "official" flag of Canada per act of parliament of December 18, 1964, to "show allegiance to the crown and as a symbol of Canadian membership in the Commonwealth". It is required to be flown at Canadian federal government facilities (if sufficient poles are available) on Victoria Day, the anniversary of the Statute of Westminster (Dec 11), and Commonwealth day. The national flag (maple leaf) takes precedence in all cases except during a royal visit. My personal observation in southern Ontario is that it is infrequently used, although it can be seen occasionally.

Kevin McNamara, 31 October 1998 One of the "concessions" which the advocates of the new (Maple Leaf) national flag of Canada granted to those in favour of the erstwhile Canadian Red Ensign was the formal recognition of the Union Jack as a flag of Canada, (where, in official Canadian parlance -- as I'm certain many of you know -- it is formally referred to as the "Royal Union Flag"). This was done via a resolution of the federal Canadian Parliament on 18 December 1964 wherein "Parliament approves the continued us of the Union flag as a symbol of Canada's membership in the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as our continued allegiance to the Crown". The practical result of this resolution is that the Union Jack is to be flown alongside the Canadian national flag at all federal government buildings, airports, and military bases on special occasions, "such as the Queen's Birthday, and on the anniversary of the passing of the Statute of Westminster by the Imperial Parliament", on 11 December 1931.

[The Statute of Westminster, by the way, is the piece of British legislation wherein it was formally declared that all the self-governing Dominions of the Empire/Commonwealth and Britain were constitutionally "equal in status", with "no member subordinate in any way" to another. Until this Statute was passed, there was still considerable confusion about the legal status of the Dominions on the international stage; although we had been self-governing, internally, for almost 100 years, all our foreign affairs were, more-or-less, supposed to be conducted via London. The Statue of Westminster formally changed that -- and, in fact, there is a school of thought which asserts that 11 December is the real independence day for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa.] I actually put this to the test last time I was home on the Queen's Birthday: I randomly drove around Ottawa and found that out of 21 federal government buildings I came across with the capacity to implement the resolution (i.e.., those with a second flag pole, since the National Flag must also be flown), 19 complied. That was in May 1992.

One last point: although it is true that we general still say "Victoria Day", in fact, the formal title has been for quite some time "the Queen's Official Birthday" (with the added implication of "in Canada"). We are not technically celebrating Queen Victoria's birthday, but rather the reigning sovereign's birthday. The same thing occurs in the UK -- the Queen's actual birth date is 21 April, but the official celebration is in June. Glen R. Hodgins, 23 May 2000 Just a quick note to advise those so interested that the Royal Union Flag ( AKA the Union Jack) was prominently on display at key Canadian government buildings in Ottawa on March 9 [2004]. Although I am certain there were many who believed it indicated a VIP visit from the UK, in fact, (and in accordance with Canadian government regulations), it was flying to mark Commonwealth Day. The same should have been the case at government sites across our northern Dominion.

There was a time when "mindless bureaucrats" overlooked these regulations, (and some who believed in republican conspiracies considered these oversights deliberate), but now, due largely to repeatedly being called to account on such matters by ordinary citizens in the know, the regulations regarding the Royal Union Flag on such occasions are currently (based upon my observations) fully observed. FYI, the Royal Union Flag is to be flown at all Canadian government sites, where physical circumstances allow (ie., a second flag pole exists) on: Commonwealth Day: 8 March; Victoria Day, (i.e.., the Queen's Official Birthday in Canada, the third Monday of May); and Statute of Westminster Day: (11 December). Within Canada "Royal Union Flag" is the official title (i.e., by government regulation) of the flag when displayed by the Canadian government, (i.e., to mark our membership in the Commonwealth or allegiance to the Crown). It is only officially referred to as the Union Jack or British flag when it represents HM's Britannic government -- ie., at the British High Commission or Consulates within Canada or when Tony Blair, et al, visit.

A subtle (and even potentially confusing) difference -- but an important and useful one if employed properly, and explained as such. Glen Hodgins, 9 March 2004 Whether or not the Flag is called the Union Jack or Union Flag or Royal Union Flag, there is an interesting concept of precedence: the UJ representing Britain is the flag of a sovereign country, so it takes precedence over provincial flags. The Union Jack (or Union Flag or Royal Union Flag) representing allegiance to the Commonwealth, is supposed to come after provincial flags. See the Canadian Heritage page on flag etiquette . Dean McGee, 9 March 2004 Unofficial Pledge to the Canadian Flag According to the Canadian government at : There is no official pledge to the Canadian flag; however, there are no laws or statutes which prevent an association or an individual from adopting a form which will suit the purposes. The following is presented as a possible form of pledge to the Canadian flag. Pledge to the Canadian Flag Salut au drapeau canadien Country Flag Color Meanings Home Cultures and Society Country Flag Color Meanings A flag in simple words is a symbolic representation of ones country. Every flag belonging to a country has a history meaning associated.

Read on to know more about meaning of flags of different countries like America, Australia, German, Indian etc. By Jamila Joshi | Tuesday, April 13, 2010 "If you want a symbolic gesture, don't burn the flag; wash it." - Norman Thomas The motive behind discovering a flag was for the purpose of passing signals/gestures and for identification of a troop. In wars, flags were used to convey messages to the opposition party i.e., of making peace, surrendering or charging for a fight etc. National flags have a wide variance of colors and their combinations. There lies some cause behind the selection of the colors, the design (stripes, crosses and bands) and the symbols (star, sun, crescent etc) embedded in the flag. There might be some false stories as well created on the history of some flags. It is difficult to say how much the truth in these stories is since these things do not have much relevance in today's context. Country Flag Color Combinations It may be noted that region-wise, there are similarities in color combinations used by some nations.

Red, White and Blue are common between a few countries in the European nations like Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Netherlands, Serbia, UK and Slovenia etc. Some African countries like Cameron, Congo, Guinea, Benin, Ghana, Mali and Niger etc have a common combination of green, red and yellow. Some Arab nations like Palestine, Jordon, Kuwait, UAE and Syria etc have common combination of red, white, green and black. There is a similarity in the design of the flags of Sweden, Denmark and Iceland who represent the Nordic countries. These countries also are known to have comparable cultural qualities. The sun, star and crescent are common symbols seen among the nations in the Asian continent. Every color symbolizes some characteristics, as we can see with the following examples of some common colors: Black: the color symbolizes a purpose for some countries, for some it is victory over the oppositions or for some it represents cultural inheritance. Blue: This color symbolizes liberation, determination, good fortune, alertness etc. Green: The color green symbolizes agriculture as well as the green revolution in one's motherland. It is found to be commonly associated with the Muslim religion.

Red: The color symbolizes power, vibrancy, revolution and war (since it is the color of blood). White: White is a soft color that symbolizes purity, peace and harmony and is also a sign for surrendering oneself to the enemy. Yellow: It is the color of gold and the sun. It symbolizes wealth and energy. It also means happiness for some. The countries have chosen the color combination that suits best with the description of their motherland. In many cases, similar combination of colors is just a mere coincidence. Meaning Behind Flags of Different Countries Let us now look into the color significance of a flag in more depth by quoting the following examples: The American Flag The thirteen red stripes (alternating with white stripes) represent the thirteen colonies that revolted with British realm. The fifty stars stand for the fifty states. The Indian Flag The Indian flag broadly depicts three colors in layers; the uppermost is the saffron, middle is white and the lowermost is the green color. The saffron color signifies the sense of patriotism, white signifies purity and peace while green signifies the agricultural richness of the country. The Ashoka Chakra, embedded in the white layer, signifies the historical gravity that is deeply rooted in the country.

The Austrian Flag The red and white flag of Austria was designed in remembrance of the blood stained coat of the Duke during a battle. The German Flag The flag of Germany with colors black, red and golden represent the uniform of the German soldiers. The Chinese Flag The red color means communism. Gold symbolizes the Chinese yellow race. The great golden star symbolizes the ruling communist party. The four little stars represent the four classes among the people in China.

Question: There are three colours on the flag of the Yemen, red, white and which other colour?
Answer: BLACK